Ok - help me here - Hillary is president - what CAN she get done?

[SoLeftIAmRight]

I think that if she gave the right the world for a biscuit they would turn their backs. My experience is that their sheep hate her even more than Obama. She gets nothing done.

Sanders offers options that many people on the right like. The leadership will not be able to depend on their sheep's hate to block movement on many of the ideas that Sanders will fight for.

What can she get accomplished?

[riversedge]

1. What a nasty post.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

10. No – I am just old and jaded

can you offer anything that might help me see differently?

[LondonReign2]

32. In what way?

[Ken Burch]

51. No, truthful. You can't get a progressive presidency

by nominating the second least-progressive candidate(after "Jim Bob" Webb).

[Ken Burch]

2. She can get TPP through and send our troops to fight ISIL.

Those things are the only reason she wants to be president. No one who holds hawkish foreign policy views wants anything progressive to happen in this country or this world. To be a hawk is to be a reactionary.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

3. America held hostage....

.....and you buy right into it....

If you think Sanders would get anything more done you are insane.

But I'm sure Jim Webb would be great.

[Cal33]

15. I think of all the Democrats running for the presidency, Sanders has the best chance of

getting more done for this country. He has already explained how he was going to have
Congress get more done -- by motiving the American people first. And Sanders has
already demonstrated his ability to excite and motivate everyday Americans. It's when
the people become motivated that they will get on the backs of their Congressional
representatives and senators to get things moving. And Congress will listen - if they
want to hold on to their jobs, that is.

This does make sense, doesn't it? (Sanders didn't say the last sentence in the above
paragraph - I did).

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

21. The Teapublicans do not give a fuck

And the American people have given little indication they are going to throw them out of office.

This country is in a standstill until about 2022 when the new districts can be drawn, IF we can get a hold of the state legislatures. Unless we get a Publican prez. Then we are fucked.

[saturnsring]

29. 90% of this country wanted gun reform and still nothing from congress so motivating

The American people means little

[daleanime]

43. So do you have a different way to change that....

or is the one Bernie's offering still the best I've heard.

[saturnsring]

66. You mean the one where he says America needs to be more like Sweden or that he's a socialist?

Don't get me wrong I'm for Bernie as well but I'd rather keep the White House. It's just that post was very naive

[daleanime]

71. You could have just said....

no, it would have saved you so time.

[saturnsring]

72. I thought I did

[daleanime]

73. If that's how you say no, I'm curious.....

what's yes look like?

[DisgustipatedinCA]

89. You have no answer. Still, welcome.

[Cal33]

86. That's just the point. Too many Americans are apahetic. But Bernie has the ability to

get people interested, even excited and ready to commit. That's one of his strong points.

[Avalux]

4. Small stuff, nothing that will change the trajectory in which this country is moving.

Hillary Clinton is an establishment politician and will be an establishment president if she's elected. I expect she'll do nothing to change the status quo; she's beholden to too many power brokers. Whether we like it or not, they are more important than we are.

There's a reason why Wall Street would be happy with either Clinton or Bush.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

13. I hate to believe that you have voiced a truth

Many big problems and only great fundamental changes can turn history

[senz]

36. +another 1

[senz]

34. +1

[arcane1]

5. Reinstating Glass-Steagall has bipartisan support, and she opposes it.

So she could get at least one veto done.

[1StrongBlackMan]

78. Where do you get that reinstating GS has bipartisan support? n/t

[arcane1]

82. "Warren, McCain introduce bill to bring back Glass-Steagall"

Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) are reintroducing legislation to revive the Glass-Steagall Act, which would force big banks to split their investment and commercial banking practices.

Glass-Steagall was first passed in 1933 but repealed during the Clinton administration, leading many progressives to argue that it contributed to the 2008 financial collapse.

Warren and McCain, along with their cosponsors, Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), said in a statement that the legislation would make big banks that are "too big to fail" smaller and safer and minimize the likelihood of a government bailout.

-snip-

http://thehill.com/policy/finance/247093-warren-mccain-introduce-bill-to-bring-back-glass-steagall

[1StrongBlackMan]

87. Thanks ...

though one republican Senator, does not bi-partisanship make.

[postatomic]

6. Absolutely nothing

Feel better now?

[Ron Green]

8. Despite the thread snark so far, it's a fair question.

She's hated by the mouth-breathing right, and owned by their masters. A bad combination. She cannot tell the truths that must be told if we're to move ahead.

[daleanime]

44. +1

[msongs]

9. if she can get more dems elected to congress at the same time, there is more opportunity unlike

a rogue with no party support

[SoLeftIAmRight]

11. Yes- will she carry that kind of change?

one must hope

[Ken Burch]

52. Any Dem nominee can get more dems elected to Congress if the party runs a strong campaign.

Bill Clinton, your idea of a "strong" candidate, was a total failure at getting Dems elected to any other office. In fact, he was clearly happy that we lost Congress in 1994-he proved that by almost never saying the words "give me a Democratic congress" when he was running for re-election in '96(despite the fact that he had nothing to lose by fighting for a Democratic recovery in the House and Senate).

[el_bryanto]

12. It depends on the makeup of Congress

It seems likely that if the Congress is held by Republicans, she will not be able to do very much, but neither will Sanders or O'Malley. On foreign policy I don't see her as being hugely different from Obama, which has good points and bad points. She isn't as belligerent as a Republican President would be; she is more inclined to try diplomacy first. But she is not adverse to sending troops in if she deems it necessary. And the grounds on which she would send troops in are more broad than many people here would like.

Domestically, she will be able to do some things through executive order and she will, in my estimation, use the Veto to protect minorities and women. But she is likely to go for half or even a quarter a loaf in order to get something, and she will be willing to make concessions to the right in order to get those items.

The other wrinkle is if she has coattails, can she create a Democratic Congress, or even a Democratic House/Senate. At that point, her weaknesses become more of an issue; because she is a centrist. She is not likely to use that majority to really craft the solutions we would like to see.

Bryant

[Cal33]

20. The way to get more people to vote more Democrats into Congress is to have the people

motivated to do so. Bernie Sanders has already shown how capable he is of getting
people motivated. In recent decades I have never seen anyone quite like him. Please
read my Post #15 above in this thread.

[el_bryanto]

24. I would agree with you - I support Sanders as well. nt

[whatchamacallit]

14. A war or two, some shitty trade agreements, lots of partys...

Quite a lot actually.

[hrmjustin]

16. I find it so amusing that Sanders suppirters think Sanders will do a better job getting things past

a Republican congress.

Your deluding yourselves.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

17. I do not believe that

I do think they they will have to come up with a different strategy

[hrmjustin]

18. I don't. He will infuriate their base even more if elected.

[azurnoir]

23. so you're saying Hillary infuriates Republicans less than Bernie?

[hrmjustin]

27. I am saying if he is elected they wuill not be cooperative with him.

[azurnoir]

28. But they will cooperate with Hillary, why?

[hrmjustin]

31. I doubt they will be. I think they will do to her what they did to Obama.

[yeoman6987]

39. It depends Lindsey and John think she is great

They may work with her. Not sure if good or bad.

[Cal33]

25. He already has some Republicans rooting for him -- the saner ones, that is. He sticks

to the issues of what's causing America's big problems at this time, and how he is
going to handle them. This is appealing to everyone who can reason a little -- both
Dems. and Repubs. Sure, it will take time. There are still many people who haven't
yet heard of him. And he does have time. I believe that Sanders will get a lot done
- perhaps not so much in his first term, but certainly in his second, when I expect
both Houses will be overwhelmingly Democratic. Of course there is the question of
his age. I wish he were 10 years younger.

[hrmjustin]

30. The saner ones are not holding office.

They will not help him.

[Cal33]

47. But they do vote, and some of them have already changed sides. The most important thing

is to have more Dems. in Congress. Without it not too much can get done.

[hrmjustin]

49. We are not likely to take the house.

Even if we did we coukd not overcome the filibuster.

Sanders woukd have the same problems as Hillary would.

[Cal33]

64. Maybe I am too optimistic, but I am hopeful that during his second term as president,

Bernie could have a Democratic House and a filibuster-proof Senate. Have you noticed
that Democrats don't say much about the Republicans blocking whatever the Dems. are trying
to accomplish? Bernie is different. As president he wouldn't hesitate to see that the
Republicans will get the full blame for whatever they are doing to block any progress.
Everybody will get to hear it - loud, clear, and often. And Elizabeth Warren will be doing
the same thing in the Senate.

More and more Republicans will finally get to know the truth of what their leaders are really
doing to our nation.

Things will be different. The main thing I am worried about is his age. Will he still have the
energy when he is 81 and 82? I wish he had started 10 years sooner. Forty years in
politics and he has no political baggage whatsoever. He doesn't owe anybody a thing. It's
incredible! Bernie is no ordinary man!

[hrmjustin]

68. Nothing wrong with being optimistic but we must also be realistic.

[FloridaBlues]

83. Wow ...are you getting alittle ahead of yourselves

[Cal33]

84. True. Only time can tell. :)

[Stardust]

96. Except that there are no filibusters in the House. nt

[1StrongBlackMan]

92. Do you really believe that ...

The internet is a very dangerous place to believe what appears on Democratic boards ... especially when it tells you exactly what we want to believe.

[SonderWoman]

19. Look at her congressional and senate endorsements.

She has a broad alliance and coalition who back her agenda and can rally the troops. As we can see from the Iran Deal, intra-party coalitions and alliances are key. Something Bernie doesn't possess.

[Cal33]

35. There are many people who haven't heard of him yet, but the rate at which he is winning people

over to his side once they have heard him (both Dems. and Repubs.), it won't be long before
he'll have enough of them motivated. And it's motivated people who cause things to get
done.

[SonderWoman]

46. I'm pretty sure everyone in congress/senate knows who he is.

And thats why endorsements matter. Bernie will spend too much time battling his own party, Hillary has a broad coalition.

[azurnoir]

22. The TPP passed if Obama doesn't?

[Skwmom]

26. Hillary (A Corporate Pres) + Corp Democrats + Republicans would get a lot done

for the Corporations and 1%. She would trumpet how she was able to work with the other side and bemoan the fact that she couldn't get anything done for the people b/c she didn't have the votes.

Sound familiar. It's worked for the last two Corporate "Democratic" Presidents.

[Tommy2Tone]

33. The right will be forced to work with Hillary just like Bernie

I am sorry but your thought process that the right will work with Bernie is borderline delusional.

[MADem]

37. She knows every world leader by first name.

Sanders doesn't even know all his colleagues in the Senate. He does not involve himself in the "housekeeping" at all.

Hillary did that kind of work, though--she's worked closely with most of the Senate. She knows how to whip votes, because she's had to do just that under Robert Byrd's stern patronage. She wasn't just pushing a yeah or nay button as a legislator, she was working behind the scenes to massage and correct legislation, AND convince peers to vote the way she wanted.

And I agree with riversedge's characterization of your comments.

FWIW, there are a lot of people on the left who don't think Sanders' priorities are theirs, and who believe he doesn't care about them at all. Don't assume that everyone on the left feels his "bern" because they don't.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

53. "She knows every world leader by first name."

that will be good sometimes -

"she's worked closely with most of the Senate"
and this could help


But - I asked what will she get accomplished?

[MADem]

55. You'll have to wait and see, won't you?

I can tell you this--if you don't know anyone, and you've never in nearly a third of century shown the capacity to work as a team player, engaging in negotiation, compromise, push and pull, you're not a good bet for suddenly being able to create some sort of mass groundswell of cooperation to drive legislation forward for the executive to sign into law, are you?

[TheFarS1de]

75. She knows every world leader by first name.

But other countries also have elections so that is a bit of a stretch , she may be familiar with protocol but to just assert she is chummy with every leader is just ludicrous .

[MADem]

77. She is chummier than someone who doesn't have them on speed dial.

And other countries, when they have elections, generally choose their leaders from people who are already inside the political system, not outliers. Even if a leader is replaced, the odds are fair to good that Clinton has met and talked with that individual.

[AuntPatsy]

38. You obviously have little to no faith in Clintons ability, and no real wish imo for what most

Everyone knows is not easy regardless of who resides in said position of President...

She knows the players as well as how to play the game, sad situation that but it does give her the ability to fight harder and perhaps win the deals she puts in play

[SoLeftIAmRight]

59. Not an answer - What - What - What will she accomplish?

Honest question

[AuntPatsy]

88. i have so many hopes regarding so many issues that I find it hard to pinpoint a few, imo

focusing on a "few" high profile issues will ensure so many get ignored, I have no doubt it is not an easy attempt to change the current status quo regardless of who becomes president where the wealthiest of us have become a type of silent true leaders, I have no illusions true justice will finally take a front row seat in our nation but I have a glimmer, just a glimmer that those three running on the ticket presently have not only the heart but the stealth in determination that perhaps can defy the odds that at present are against us...

[senz]

40. Reward her donors and punish her (perceived) enemies, perhaps.

[Xyzse]

41. Probably about the same as Obama.

From what I have seen they are close to each other in the issues.
In certain ways, I think she might be more effective than Obama, particularly as she has more contacts and possibly ways to fill her cabinet more securely.

I don't fully support her stances in some issues, but I can live with her. If she wins the nomination, you better believe I will support her.

That is my same stance when it comes to any other Democratic candidate at this time.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

60. Nice post - and I hope...

that would get as much done

it has been a surprise what Obama has been able to do

Some of it I did not like

[Xyzse]

95. I feel the same way.

[Cosmocat]

42. Pure fantasy

That rs wont 100"percent oppose the "socialist" 100 percent on everything.

Hillary OR Bernie will get done what bho or ANY democrat would get done w rs in this era, jack shit that isnt a complete handout to the ultra rich.

[BainsBane]

45. She has strong relationships with congress

has already done the outreach to congressional Democrats than Obama never did. She also has a proven track record of working across the isle, which Sanders does not. If you're simply interested in hearing a candidate/president validate your anger and telling you what you want to hear , Sanders is your man. If you care about government and how the country function, Clinton is far better qualified. If you see the president's role as entertainer in chief on cable news and aren't one of the many millions dependent on government functioning in order to survive, then what gets done really doesn't matter, particularly for those well off enough to benefit from any GOP tax cuts aimed toward the upper-middle class.

The reason that Clinton doesn't promise the moon is because she knows she would be expected to deliver on promises she makes. Sanders seems entirely unencumbered by the prospect of actually governing. He has no history of getting any reform legislation passed, despite three decades in congress. If he had any ability to carry out any of that, would we have seen at least one successful piece of reform legislation? He has been in office during periods in which the Democrats controlled both houses. Why should he magically be able to do from the White House what he hasn't been able to do from congress? He doesn't appear to have any strong relationships with his fellow legislators, since not a single one has endorsed him. Without congress, all any president can do is issue executive orders, command the military and make speeches. But being one of their own, he won't be expected to deliver. We already know they've excused the very policies, like drones, they accused Obama of being a criminal for carrying out. For some, issues and policy matter far less than their simply liking the person in office.

Polls demonstrate that the majority of Sanders supporters make over $80k a year. That makes them fortunate economically (the upper 25% and up) and it also means they aren't dependent on government like much of the poor. It's no skin off their nose if the GOP gains the White House, and lord knows they see their anger toward the super rich as more important than anything and anyone else.

[SonderWoman]

48. Nailed it. Alliances matter, and Hillary has them.

I think Bernie will cause too much intra-party fighting and disagreements.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

56. Not an answer to my question - What - What - What will she get done...

any speculation what she might get accomplished?

[hrmjustin]

57. What will Sanders get done?

[SonderWoman]

58. Check her website.

She has actual proposals, from jobs, to economy, to climate, to education, unlike Bernie.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

61. If you could pick one thing that she might get done

what would that be

serious question

[1StrongBlackMan]

85. I'm not a HRC supporter, but ...

if I were to bet, I'd say her first item would be the passage of an increase to the minimum wage (probable, in increments over a period of 4-8 years, with a final MW of $12.00/hr).

There is bipartisan support for the idea in both Houses.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

91. wow - we have an answer - many thanks

I would say - fight for 15 - but would be happy if she got this done

[lunamagica]

80. Great post! I agree with every word

[BainsBane]

50. BTW

That you refer to your fellow citizens as less than human, as sheep, shows exactly why your particular approach to politics fails. People don't tend to stand with or support people or movements that demean them, nor should they. Anyone who sees great sections of the public as inferior is not going to be successful in convincing people they care about equality when they reveal a view of human worth that is the opposite of that.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

62. Reality - half of the population is below average

most of the rest are very close

I see that huge numbers have little understand and less have basic facts

the amount of evidence that indicates the power of advertising is overwhelming

sorry, I do not live in your world

[BainsBane]

93. I live in a society

where every adult gets one vote, and no one's is worth more than that of any other citizen.

I have also found that one of the chief benefits of education is that one comes to understand how little they actually know. Without that awareness, there is no space for learning or growth.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

94. agreed

education

[DisgustipatedinCA]

90. A Republican piece of shit is a piece of shit. It's called the Reflexive Property of Republicans.

This is a partisan site (on the left, that is). You can run your GOP Morale and Welfare program somewhere they might appreciate the gesture more. Here at DU, most of us have long realized what Republicans are doing to this nation. And we don't coddle them.

[doc03]

54. Probably very little, it will be one investigation

after another from the time she takes office to the time she leaves.

[TheKentuckian]

63. Stack the cabinet with neolibs, repay favor, retaliate against "enemies" on this side of the aisle,

strengthen the hand of the multinationals, find somebody to bomb, arm bloody "moderates", run for President, get into pissing matches with Putin, run for President, shadily destabilize South American nations with the audacity to not "play ball", give away more of the commons for the benefit of the corporations, push for and sign "free trade" agreements, run for President, tell whoppers, cover up shit on general principle that is really minor, jump at her shadow, further entrench neoliberal control of the party, run for President, schmooze, appoint socially moderate, corporate embracing fiscal conservatives to every level of the courts, look out for the multinational corporations, punch hippies at every opportunity, go on phony listening tours as reelection time comes, run for President, and fiddle while the world burns.

[upaloopa]

65. I see this type of argument a lot.

People call talk radio and make a statement then ask the host to defend against it.
Your depiction of Hillary is false so no answer can be given by someone who does not agree with it.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

67. Me too

That is why I ask

What is one thing on her agenda that you think she can get accomplished?

[upaloopa]

74. She will better the lives of women and children

in this country and possibly other countries.
She has made that a goal her whole life.

[John Poet]

69. What can Hillary do if elected?

She can wage war for 90 days, without the permission or approval of congress.

[ibegurpard]

70. pro-corporate trade policy.

Privatization of public goods and services

[HassleCat]

76. Not a nuke treaty with Iran

Her good friend the DNC chair will see to that.

[randys1]

79. Smear Hillary day? Must be Tuesday

[Romulox]

81. She would look after Goldman Sachs. It would be "historic" for a woman to do so. Isn't that enough? nt